"Mike Freeman is one of the greatest vibraphonists of today, his music has depth and "Venetian Blinds" gives continuity to his success chain" Luis Raul Montell - Jazz Caribe

Mike Freeman has been hailed as “masterful,”a “superb” vibes player, and “wildly talented.” Following Blue Tjade, his tribute to Cal Tjader, Venetian Blinds is a tip of the hat to Tito Puente and Bobby Hutcherson.

When Tito Puente rolled in his vibes during the early days of the Palladium, people would say, “Here comes Tito with those venetian blinds!”— referring to the strung-together bars of the instrument. Four of the tracks on this recording were written for Tito Puente: “Those Venetian Blinds,” “Mambo Kings,” “Night Crawlers,” and “Qué Tal Tío” (What’s Up Uncle). Another three go out to the late vibraphonist and Jazz Master Bobby Hutcherson: “Clutch the Hutch,” “Bobby Land,” and “House of Vibes.”

Mike Freeman ZonaVibe brings together a mix of original Latinjazz characterized by spirited soulful swing. Venetian Blinds is the latest in a line of clave-infused recordings Mike has produced over the past 18 years.

The all-new lineup for this outing features stalwarts of the New York Latin music scene: trumpeter Guido Gonzalez and conga master Roberto Quintero, along with up-and-coming players Ian Stewart on bass and Joel Mateo on drums.

Mike Freeman’s recordings have appeared on numerous radio charts (jazz, contemporary, World) and syndicated radio programs (WOR radio network, Jazz After Hours, David Sanborn, Music Choice, United Airlines), with international airplay throughout Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and Australia. His recordings have been both Grammy and Latin Grammy entries and have received outstanding reviews. Mike is also known by fans and audiences for his work and recordings with several acclaimed Latin groups including Ray Mantilla; Lucho Cueto’s all-star salsa group Black Sugar; and Son Boricua with Jose Mangual Jr. and the late Jimmy Sabater (one of the architects of Boogaloo).

High-talent masterful vibraphone jazz Mike Freeman ZonaVibe – VENETIAN BLINDS: “Old soul” Latin jazz fans (like me) can’t help but remember the hip sounds of players like Tito Puente and Bobby Hutcherson… this is vibraphonist Mike’s high-talent tribute to those stalwarts… as you listen to them on his August, 2018 release, you’ll realize why I found his playing so attractive… the 4:47 “Bobby Land” has a lilting groove that will transport any “true” jazz lover straight to Nirvana… just LOVE Mike’s vibe on this tune.

Mike’s work is highly complimented by trumpeter Guido Gonzalez; conga master Roberto Quintero, along with up-and-coming players Ian Stewart on bass and Joel Mateo on drums… all you need to do is scope out the 5:15 opener, “House Of Vibes“, to become a dedicated fan of this great group of players… one thing you’ll notice right away is how “together” they are… no players “stepping” on each other & every note is full of the kind of jazz energy most groups can only aspire towards; this is one of my favorite vibe-based tunes (yet) in 2018!

If you’re looking for music you can dance to, you’re gonna’ fall in love with “Fancy Free” right away… this song definitely has the soul you’ve been seeking… it gets a slot on my iPhone player, too… perfect cruising music… Ian’s bass solo lines on this one are just stellar!

It is the longest cut on the album that won my vote for personal favorite… “What’s Up With This Moon” clocks in at 6:11, and has some wonderful trumpet from Guido, along with all the other jazz masters.

I give Mike and his fellow players a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.98 for this mighty mellow jazz excursion.

DAMA DE PAUS is the debut of the Brazilian interpreter Karol Guaitolini. The album is based on the rhythmic richness of Brazil, its roots and roots, with all the influence of jazz and Afro-Brazilian music, amidst the search for current sonorities, groove and, mainly, Samba. With pharaonic arrangements of metals and strings, in addition to expansive harmonic structure, this is a varied and extroverted work. A mixture of technique, popularity and concept based on the excellence of Brazilian music, which makes this work unique and striking. Simply eclectic!

Karol Guaitolini Notes:

Daughter of father pianist and mother singer, Karol Guaitolini had the tempered DNA to fulfill a mission: to sing. At the age of four, his voice and resourcefulness already impressed the dances of Bahia. He grew up, became a people and a college of Social Communication, but he never let go of his vocation.

Karol Guaitolini, a Brazilian singer and songwriter, is one of the most talented singers in Brazil, singing in weddings, anniversaries, graduations, bars, nightclubs, clubs, hotels, theaters. Singing, he toured the main cultural spaces of Salvador and the interior of Bahia.

Sensitive to the diverse musical influences, Karol was an impressive collection of achievements, with projects that embraced diverse styles of music and artistic concepts, singing in pop / rock band, dance band and black music. In 2009 she created, produced and directed the daring "Eu, Ella and Elis: the jazz divas", a show in which she tested and recognized her extraordinary acting skills.

After the success of the divas, Ella Fitzgerald and Elis Regina, Karol did in 2011 - in partnership with the label QLouva Music - an audacious re-reading of Noir Rosa's classic Last Wish. This was the origin of the artist's first music video, the finalist of the biggest music prize in Brazil: the 22nd Brazilian Music Award (formerly the Sharp / TIM Prize). Also he was finalist of the prize in 2012, interpreting Thing Made, of João Bosco.

In 2013, he moves to Rio de Janeiro, where he meets Nema Antunes, with whom he performs the "Miss" project in which he is accompanied by expert instrumentalists: João Castilho, Marco Brito and Erivelton Silva. The partnership results in the CD "Dama de Paus", a contemporary work with a clear influence of jazz, Afro-Brazilian rhythms, groove and samba. Disco this recommended by names like Roberto Menescal, Carlos Lyra, Ivan Lins and others.

In 2017, Karol Guaitolini was nominated for Best Female Vocal for the Caymmi Music Prize. In the same year, he made the international launch of his career with a concert in Lisbon, a show that received praise from the Brazilian and Portuguese media, where he promoted a season of presentations, including on television channels.

Artistically restless and in a constant state of accomplishment, Karol entered the very inspiring 2018: after careful selection of repertoire and once again using the exuberance of the best Brazilian musicians, he is tempering yet another formidable art to the delight of the public and of good Brazilian music. What comes around has multiple chances of surprising, but only in part: after all, Dama de Paus has already demonstrated that when it comes to interpreting, Karol has only the best to offer.

Undoubtedly Dave Valentin was one of our most valuable musicians, generator of emotions in concerts and festivals, who achieved an important communication with the public and from his charisma took him in his virtuosity as a musician and cheerful personality.

Good memory and tribute to this precursor of Latin Jazz.

In this Annual Convention there will be different sessions, workshops, forums and the stars of Latin Jazz with the flute Nestor Torres and Orlando "Maraca" Valle will give master classes.

jueves, 26 de julio de 2018

"A mixture of excitement, sadness, 'saudades', happiness, failure, regret, luck - all of the things I was feeling at the time are in my music. I lived in Brazil for the first 30 years of my life. When I decided to move to another country, I had mixed feelings about the new challenges I was about to face.

For my first two years in the U.S., these "mixed feelings" persisted. I struggled with my decision to move so far away from my home. I experienced great happiness, but also times of great sadness and loneliness.

I never thought I would have a chance to live in NYC until I had the fortunate opportunity to meet the great composer and arranger Maria Schneider in São Paulo, Brazil. Maria encouraged me to apply for a Masters in Jazz Piano. I ended up going to one of the universities she recommended- William Paterson University. I'm very grateful I had the opportunity to study there, with all of the rich musical experiences that entailed, especially the privilege of studying with the great pianist Mulgrew Miller. All of these influences are present here in this album, in my compositions and my playing.

I composed Mixed Feelings (Vivenda Music) around 2010/2011 in Brazil, while I was in the process of preparing to move to the U.S. I wrote the other original compositions on the album during my two first years I lived in the U.S., when I was really missing my home and family.

As I said in the liner notes of my previous album, Vivenda (I can find no better way to say it!): 'I believe that the music that I make is a result of everything that I nurture within myself. I've had the privilege to have many wonderful and very different people in my life; through them I became who I am, and their various influences have led me to realize my dreams. I thank deeply all of my family and friends for sharing their life and dreams with me!'

Mixed Feelings is a project that expresses my deepest feelings in a crucial moment of my life, using new sounds that I was so excited to explore at that specific moment. And I'm very pleased to share it with you! Enjoy!"-Abelita Mateus

* * *

"Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist Abelita Mateus is part of the front-facing evolution of Brazilian music as it projects into the twenty-first century."
(C. Michael Bailey) Living in the NYC area since 2012, Mateus has taken a remarkable path. She released her debut album Vivenda in 2017(co-produced by and featuring guitarist Romero Lubambo), which reached the 24th position on the Jazz Week Charts.

"Abelita Mateus has so many of the qualities that are important for any successful musician. Her piano artistry is remarkable, and she is a talented composer and vocalist. Abelita's intelligence and heart are also expressed through her music. She is part of the next generation of great Brazilian musicians. With all this talent, Abelita is someone to really keep your eyes on!-Romero Lubambo

"Abelita Mateus has, in abundance, those indispensables of the musicians' craft: sensitivity, creativity, and a prodigious technique. Most of all, she sparkles with refreshment - and for a jazz musician to sound refreshing in 2017 is no ordinary thing!"-John Lee

Recorded live at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in NYC, this exciting new reimagining is West Side Story like you’ve never heard it before as performed by the amazing multi-Grammy nominated 21 piece Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band. This set includes an accompanying 16 page booklet containing rare photographs of Maestro Leonard Bernstein, along with the timeless music of West Side Story featuring the rhythms of various Latin American countries with exciting breaking-down-the-wall instrumental big band arrangements all done through the lens of the Latin jazz continuum.

It’s the most ambitious reimagining of the music I have ever heard!”- Jamie Bernstein

Partial proceeds from this special commemorative set will be donated to the Jazz Foundation of America's Puerto Rico Relief Fund. The island has been completely devastated by hurricanes Irma and Maria and the government’s response has been less than adequate. What better way to help my ancestral homeland Puerto Rico and its people, than through the music of West Side Story Reimagined. - Bobby Sanabria

Always one to seek out new ways to express his music vision, Bill O'Connell has embraced a broad stylistic swath of jazz, Latin and Brazilian idioms while experimenting with equally diverse instrumental combinations, from a duo to unconventional trio settings and ensembles of various sizes. His well-known resume includes long stints as keyboardist and arranger for the legendary Cuban conguero Mongo Santamaria and flautist Dave Valentín with a diverse array of jazz and Latin artists, from saxophonists Sonny Rollins and Gato Barbieri to trumpeters Chet Baker and Jerry Gonzalez With friends like Randy Brecker, Craig Handy, Conrad Herwig, Andrea Brachfeld and Dan Carillo on hand, Jazz Latin is more than a release, it is an event.

jueves, 12 de julio de 2018

Steel pan player Victor Provost grew up on the island of St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. One of his early professional experiences was playing solo pan with backing tracks at a resort in Caneel Bay. Mr. Provost said:

"I treated it like paid practice. That’s where I really started to experiment with improvisation. On steel pan, you traditionally play in a group, learning melodies, arrangements, and songs by rote. Having those solo gigs allowed me to break away and start experimenting with improvisation. By the five hundredth time you’ve played an arrangement of a tune, you get tired of doing it the same way. It was a unique opportunity. There aren’t a lot of situations that allow you to experiment as a young person."

Since then, Provost’s musical pursuits have brought him through Pittsburgh and Washington D.C., where he’s a leading member of the jazz scene and teaches at George Mason University. Provost’s album from 2017, Bright Eyes(Sunnyside), received acclaim from Downbeat, the Washington Post, and elsewhere, helping to establish Provost as a leading voice on his instrument.

Provost recorded and participated in concerts, successfully, with Dion Parson and Afro Bop Alliance.

This Friday, July 13, Provost returns to The Jazz Gallery to present new music composed in the aftermath of last year’s Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which devastated the Virgin Islands. The hotel where Provost honed his craft was almost completely destroyed and has yet to reopen. For this new project, Provost will be joined by some of his regular collaborators, as well as new additions—Alex Brown onkeyboards, Bob Bruya on bass, Zane Rodulfo on drums, Kweku Sumbry on percussion, and Jacques Schwarz-Bart on saxophones. Before coming to hear this deeply-felt new music at the Gallery this weekend, check out Provost and his working band in La Pataia, Punta del Este International Jazz Festival (Uruguay) 2017, whose musical director is Paquito D'Rivera. Enjoy "Fitt Street" composition of Victor Provost.